


Light in the Time we Have Together

by ThNinjassistant



Category: King of Fighters, Ryuuko no Ken | Art of Fighting (Video Games)
Genre: Any verse compliant but they're their KoF timeline ages, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, SNK won't acknowledge KoFG characterization so I will, Self-Worth Issues, Will adjust if a verse is decided, Yuri is a gremlin child and I love her, can't believe I rise again like a rarepair phoenix
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25207447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThNinjassistant/pseuds/ThNinjassistant
Summary: Ryo's struggling with understanding what these feelings inside him are.Robert's struggling with the fact that he knows exactly what these feelings are.Yuri's ready to start a fight if those two don't figure things out sooner or later.
Relationships: Ryo Sakazaki/Robert Garcia, Sakazaki Ryou/Robert Garcia
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well none of you listened last time so I'm back.

Ryo let out a sigh as he rolled onto his side to glance at the clock in his room. 12:49 AM. He’d gone to bed over 2 hours ago but he couldn’t manage to get himself to sleep. There was something still bugging him about earlier that day. Robert had been seeming really tired after arriving at the dojo this time around so the two of them and Yuri had all agreed to go out. That evening the two of them returned to the dojo and he was stopped by his friend before going inside...

_“Hey, Ryo?”_

_Turning to face the other man, Ryo gave a questioning look and gestured for him to continue._

_“I… Well, I really appreciated being able to spend time with you today. The both of you, of course! But it’s really valuable to spend time with my best friend like this again after so long.” The dark haired man couldn’t help but smile, even through his cheeks being dusted a light pink._

_Ryo paused. He seemed happy, and that smile wasn’t just one that he gave to the public and in usual circumstances. This was a genuine smile, one that shows the light in his eyes and how… nice his friend looked, and…_

Ryo shook his head as he felt his mind drifting back to the issue at hand. He couldn’t stop thinking about that smile, about the real happiness that was reserved only for him. He could feel his heartbeat in his chest as he took a breath and looked back at the clock. 12:54 AM.

Ryo closed his eyes. That smile appeared so clearly in his head that it caught him off guard as he opened them again. His heart was racing again. This wasn’t something he’d dealt with before. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about him, and this feeling inside him… what was this feeling, anyways?

Ryo let out another sigh and shoved his face into his pillow with irritation.

This was going to be a long night.

Through a few walls, Robert sat on the edge of his honorary bed in the Sakazaki household, instinctively twirling his finger around the end of his hair. Better than messing with his ponytail in the day, at least. 

It wasn’t that it was considerably hard to sleep that night, there was just a lot of things on his mind. Namely, he hadn’t intended to show his stress to anyone. Being the only heir to a well established company was exhausting, but that was the reason that he visited Southtown and his friends to begin with. Though, he did have an argument with his father before this time, about how he “...needs to be more responsible since the company will be yours, one day. There’s no time to be messing around.” 

...The company being his, huh.

That was what was going to happen someday, no matter what. It was already locked as his future, no matter what he did. That kept sitting at the back of his mind, reminding him that the times with the Sakazakis, anything that brought him joy, would never last. He was the heir to the Garcia Foundation. Nothing more to it.

Even so, Ryo had… noticed that he was upset and had brought him out to cheer him up. Not only that, but it had worked. He felt a slight relief from the dark thoughts plaguing his mind as he talked and laughed with Ryo and Yuri. 

It was always around Ryo that he could feel safe, be happy, be himself… and Ryo was such a good guy, too. Not bad looking at all, either. He was so… so…

Perfect.

Robert jolted back, a light flush coming to his cheeks as that thought stayed in his mind and grew as more of his memories with Ryo came to mind, with the same conclusion he had just arrived at being drawn with each of them. Robert took in a deep breath but couldn’t stop himself from letting it out shakily as he gave a weak laugh.

“Heh… hehe… Oh. Oh no.”


	2. Chapter 2

The sunlight draped over Ryo’s face, forcing him to open his eyes with a groan. He hadn’t been able to close his eyes for a good hour later than he had wanted because of that cycle his thoughts seemed trapped in, and even the sleep he had gotten wasn’t restful. Ryo forced himself to sit up to avoid burying his face into the pillow immediately again and thought back to when he had closed his eyes. Vague images flashed through his mind, but nothing really came to him. Lovely. No sleep and no idea why.

Rubbing his eyes, Ryo stood and slipped out of his sleeping clothes and into the casual wear for around the house. Takuma had gone off to “persuade the public to see the power in Kyokugenryu!”, as he put it. Probably going to get himself arrested soon enough, again. Regardless, no Takuma meant that Yuri could persuade him into taking weekends off from training. Ryo tsked to himself while unable to fight back a fond smile. He really shouldn’t let her get away with so much.

After taking his steps to the house’s hallway and shutting his door again, Ryo paused. Was there water running? If Yuri had tried to boil “tea rice” again he might have to call the fire department, or the hospital if she had tried tasting it. He quickly made his way to the kitchen where there was, to his relief, no pots on the small stove they had and nothing taken out of the cabinet. Figuring that he should at least get some energy in him before the day got completely started, Ryo filled the kettle next to the stove and placed it to start heating up.

The blonde quickly opened the cabinet doors to look for the green tea they kept while the kettle rose to a boil. He laughed to himself seeing the locked container of coffee beans next to the tea as he grabbed his intended beverage and shut the door just as swiftly. Yuri had begged and pleaded her way into getting a cup from Robert years ago and the end result was so disastrous that his friend had it kept as far from her persistent hands as possible.

Robert had always brought some different type, or… types? Ryo didn’t pay enough attention to know what kind he brought each time he visited, but Robert was always happy to offer a taste or a cup to Ryo. Probably trying to persuade him into liking it. It became some silly game, he was stubbornly persistent in finding a kind that Ryo would enjoy. Though the last time he had tried some, it was different from the regular cups. It was sweeter, and smoother, and it was… nice. Something on his face must have given it away because Robert’s eyes lit up, though now he questioned if it was really out of something like victory.

The kettle started whistling, bringing Ryo out of his reminiscing as he poured himself a cup of tea and shook his head at how much water was still remaining. Yuri wasn’t a fan of how strong he made his tea, but Robert always seemed happy to share a cup with him, though even Ryo could tell the man preferred coffee. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go deliver him a cup, put it on his nightstand he had obtained for the guest room. “Guest room”, Ryo chuckled under his breath. The old man insisted that’s what it was, even though everyone in the house knew only one person stayed in there.

Taking the second cup in his free hand, Ryo started for the hallway when he heard rushed footsteps heading towards him. Placing the mugs back on the counter with a steady swiftness, he turned just in time to be tackled into by an all too familiar face. Pushing the laughing culprit off him, Ryo rolled his eyes.

“You’re insistent on doing that every day, huh.”

“Just you watch, I’ll catch you off guard one of these days! Then _I’ll_ be the best one around, because no one will see me coming! And when I’m the best, I can boss you around all I want!”

Ryo shook his head while dusting his torso off from the sudden “surprise” attack. “I commend your dedication, but you should probably focus on your stealth, first. I can hear you like an oncoming stampede. Tatsumaki’s been quieter running up than that.”

Yuri’s face dropped to a pout for a fraction of a second before her eyes lit up and it changed to an eager grin. “But I _am_ getting better, right? You can’t say I’m not!”

“Well… yes. You’ve grown a lot in the past few years if you’re already up to par with me and… the rest of the dojo’s masters. I’m sure you’ve got great things in store for you, Yuri. I just wish you’d train a bit more seriously sometimes…”

Yuri scoffed as she ducked under his arm to reach the counter and grabbed at one of the mugs. “Why does it matter? You don’t act like that with Robert, and he’s still one of the best! ...Damn, I can tell that tea's way too strong without a sip. Here I thought you were finally going to be nice to your sister for once and make me tea."

"Right, because I've never done anything for you before."

"Exactly! Glad you understand. Did you save me any water?”

“No, both of those are to my liking and it took everything from the kettle. Don’t try to experiment with breakfast this time, please…”

“I’m just saying I’m onto something! If every morning we have tea and we have rice…”

“It doesn’t save time or make them better, Yuri. Not everything will be a good idea. I don’t want to pull more money from Robert for hospital bills, especially not right now.”

“Oh yeah, the old man’s off on another preaching session, huh? We’ll need medical bill or bail money soon enough. I guess you’re right for now, but I will prove to you my genius in this one day.” She jabbed a finger into Ryo’s chest as emphasis, but her smirk fell back as she looked closer at him. “...Hey, you doing good? Now that I’m getting a better look, you look awful.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m being serious, you alright? You look exhausted. You sleep at all last night?”

Ryo sighed. If there was anyone he could never hide from, it’d definitely be Robert. But after that, it’d be his sister. 

“...Not really, at least not _well._ Last night I was feeling… weird. Hopeful that I’m not catching something.”

“Feeling weird? ...Hm… How so?”

This was a trap. Ryo could sense it. That glisten in her eye was bad news, but if she knew something, _anything_ , who was he to turn down some help? 

“Uh, well… I guess my stomach was feeling a bit funny? And my chest was feeling kind of tight, too…” Ryo trailed off as he saw his sister’s grin grow larger with everything he brought up. This was a mistake. Ryo Sakazaki had made a horrible mistake.

“Ohh, I wouldn’t say you’re _sick_ , exactly. I wouldn’t worry about it quite yet, bro. Why not tell me more later, though? I’d love to know more.” Yuri stepped to the cupboard giggling as Ryo was left standing with less answers than before he’d asked. Resigning himself to being grilled later, Ryo grabbed the mugs again and headed to the guest bedroom.

The water had stopped, he first noted. So it was a shower, then. Better than it having been Yuri’s breakfast experiments again. Ryo stepped into the guest room and sighed with a touch of affection at the bed already being made. He’d insisted time and time again it wasn’t a big deal and yet, it made him smile. Stepping carefully, Ryo placed the spare mug onto the small table next to the mattress and stepped back to the hall when he heard the door to the bathroom open and Robert stepped out. Taking a sip of his tea, he turned to nod in a morning greeting-

The darker haired man was avoiding looking at him, that was the first thing he noticed. His face was red, that too. His hair seemed like it’d finally been dried and combed through but notably, it was down. It’s never been down. His chest was aching again as his heartbeat became all too apparent in his ears.

Ryo choked on his tea.

As he felt the other man frantically patting his back, he could already tell this was going to be one hell of a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this came out longer than I thought, guess I couldn't stop myself from continuing on!  
> Hopefully another update will come to me soon, but until then, thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

“Ready to stop yet? Or do you have another round in you, still?”

Ryo smirked as he blocked another hit from the other man and moved quickly to counter attack, only to have his rival dodge and attempt a kick in retaliation. The two rarely landed a genuine hit during their sparring matches, but it wasn’t much of a disappointment for them. It was about defense when they fought, and it was fun to fight with him, in Ryo’s eyes. 

However, it had been a good hour since they’d started by now, and his stomach was protesting at his lack of a meal since that morning. Shaking his head, Ryo dropped his stance and sighed.

“I think we’ve done enough for a weekend spar. Yuri probably wants us all to do something together later, so no point in exhausting ourselves. That, and I’m starving.”

Robert laughed as he stretched out of his own position and took on a more relaxed natural stance.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Yuri does like it when we all do something in the evenings, so if you fall asleep she’ll yell at you  _ and _ me for letting you get tired out. It’s for the best.”

“Oh, so I only matter when you might get in trouble? Thanks.”

The blonde jokingly stated in return as he did some of his own stretches to cool down. As he finished up, Ryo glanced over as the other man pulled his shoes back on and started tying at the laces. A thought drifted into his mind as he looked at them and he furrowed his brow.

"Why don't you wear those while we train? They do make you hit harder."

Robert paused at the question and looked over with a look of slight amusement on his face. Was the question that bizarre?

"Uh, well, I  _ suppose _ I could, but I don't think I should."

"Well, why not? It's not fair if you're not training at your full strength."

"Well, Ryo, I understand what you're saying, but really there's no big benefit to training with them on. And besides, if I mess up and hit you wearing them, I'd be too concerned about hurting your arm or chest to fight. ...Aw, come on, don't make that face. You don't wear shoes while training, consider it even ground there."

“...Fine.” With a bit of a sigh of resignation, Ryo sat against the wall and opened a bottle of water he’d brought before their match. Wouldn’t help with how hungry he was, but it was still something for after practice. Robert walked over and sat beside him stretching his arm as Ryo finished taking a drink from the bottle and absentmindedly held it over in offer, flinching in realization as the other man grabbed it and took a drink of his own. They were close, sharing a bottle of water wasn’t something huge, but it still stirred something odd in Ryo’s mind.

“...Yknow, I kind of wish things could always be like this.”

Well that’s some unexpected sentimentality. Something’s on his mind, if Robert’s acting like this. But a part of him was hesitant to push any further. If he said something wrong then the darker haired man might just shut off completely. Taking a breath quietly, he turned his head and gave a gentle smile.

“What do you mean? Something up?”   
  
“Well, Ryo, it’s just that… I’m happy I have you here. All of you really. You’re my closest friends. Really, kind of my only friends…”

“What? You’re not saying you don’t have anyone else now, really?”

“It’s the truth. Not many people were that interested in me as a kid outside of the foundation members. Most of the time when kids were nice to me they wanted me to get them something since my family was rich.”

What could he say? Robert had way better social skills than he ever could, and yet… People just cared about the money? What was wrong with the higher class, could they not see someone for who they were? Then again, back then even his father had pestered him over money. Ryo already felt awful that day but if it was one of his only close friends saying that to him…

“Robert, that’s ridiculous. You deserve so much more than that, you know?”

“Heh. Thanks, Ryo, but sometimes I wonder if they were right back then. Your father already wants me to be paying him every other time I come over, maybe my worth is just based on my money.”

The smile that accompanied that remark wasn’t one he enjoyed seeing the evening before. This one seemed more forced, more painful. Something about it felt like a knife piercing his chest, twisting to intensify the pain as the dark haired man stood up.

“I’m gonna go see about something to eat. Alright?”

Ryo barely managed to nod and wave in a farewell before he felt his hand on his chest. There was no knife, of course, but the pain was still there. What was he talking about? How could anyone only see him for his money? How dare anyone try to use him like that? What was going on with him, anyways? Why was he this mad about it? Why was he this **sad** about it?

Eventually, Ryo left the training room with an aggravated yell and a lasting imprint left on one of the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ever think about how canonically we've only ever seen that Robert has 3 friends so hahahaha yeaaahhhhh
> 
> Also I am so sorry it took this long I hope this won't take much longer for chapter 4


End file.
